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Sly Fox Brewmaster Quits, The Latest Major Craft Brewer To Leave The Business He Helped Build

I cover the business of beer and alcohol, mixed with a little politics

In this Monday, June 3, 2013 photo, Brewmaster Brian O’Reilly holds a can of Helles Golden Lager with a 360 Lid as he poses for a portrait at the Sly Fox Brewing Company, in Pottstown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

“I feel like he’s almost a brother,” says John Giannopoulos, who owns Sly Fox with his family. “There’s not any bad blood at all. This is a great opportunity for Brian and for us.”

“I told John’s parents that I’m still part of the family. They’re not getting rid of me,” O’Reilly agrees. “And things are in the staff’s hands. To be honest I haven’t really made wort in many years. I can’t wait to taste the newest beers because once I leave here I’m a fan.”

A can of Helles Golden Lager with a 360 Lid is displayed at the Sly Fox Brewing Company, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Under O’Reilly’s leadership, the brewery has won 10 prestigious Great American Beer Festival awards and has grown to two facilities brewing more than 23,000 barrels per year (1 BBL=31 gallons). Tuned-in craft beer drinkers around the country also recognize the brewery for being the first on the east coast to can its liquid and for hosting the annual goat race (yes, with real goats) that drew 60 goats this year and has been named Philadelphia’s best beer event by the local press.

“I was really honored by amount of faith John and the Giannopoulos family have put in me,” O’Reilly says. “Always working hard to access the next tool, and I think that’s the key to our success.”

I’m a freelancer who primarily covers lifestyle trends with a focus on craft beer, alcohol, culinary tourism and sustainability. My writing has been published in Food +…MORE